Indiana National Guard departs for North Carolina to support Hurricane Florence relief

1 / 2Show Caption +Hide Caption –Indiana National Guard soldiers with the 2-238th General Support Aviation Battalion prepare a UH-60 for take-off at the Gary Aviation Facility and prep the aircraft for hurricane relief efforts on September 16, 2018. (Photo Credit: Spc. Tackora Hand)VIEW ORIGINAL2 / 2Show Caption +Hide Caption –Indiana National Guard soldiers with the 2-238th General Support Aviation Battalion prepare a UH-60 for take-off at the Gary Aviation Facility and prep the aircraft for hurricane relief efforts on September 16, 2018. (Photo Credit: Spc. Tackora Hand)VIEW ORIGINAL

After the request for aviation support was received from North Carolina, 14 pilots and crewmembers flew two UH-60 Black Hawks from Gary, Indiana on Sept. 13 and 14 to Knoxville, North Carolina.

"Gov. Eric Holcomb activated the Indiana National Guard to provide support to the victims of Hurricane Florence in North Carolina," said Indiana National Guard Adjutant General, Maj. Gen. Courtney P. Carr.

In addition to the aviation support personnel, Indiana's 181st Intelligence Wing activated an unclassified processing, assessment and dissemination, or UPAD, team to provide archival and live imagery, geospatial intelligence and assessment capabilities to incident commanders in affected areas.

"The skills that our analysts are using in UPAD domestic response to Hurricane Florence are the same skills and fill the same training tasks necessary in their Title 10 Intelligence Analyst roles for their assigned global reach back missions from the 181st Intelligence Wing on a continual 365 day, seven days a week, 24 hour basis," said 181st Intelligence Wing Commander, Col. Christopher Alderdice.

The Indiana National Guard was to be fully integrated into relief efforts by Sept. 17.

"We are doing exactly what the National Guard was designed to do - supporting states and territories in times of need," said Alderdice. "The capabilities we have are not only beneficial when fighting wars, but also when serving our citizens."

The Indiana National Guard responded to both Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma with more than 180 personnel in 2017. Since 2004, the Indiana National Guard has responded to more than 30 events with nearly 5,000 Soldiers.